What Is Babar Azam's Record As Pakistan's Test Captain Before 2026 Reappointment?

Babar Azam's record analysed as Pakistan's Test captain [Source: AFP]

According to emerging reports, Babar Azam will succeed Shan Masood as Pakistan's Test captain. Shan Masood has had a torrid run as the captain of the Pakistani team, leading them to 12 defeats across 16 matches. 

Recently, Shan Masood-led Pakistan suffered an embarrassing series defeat to Bangladesh, as the Tigers crushed them by two-nil. The whitewash further slashed the Pakistani team's PCT, pushing it to the ninth position in the WTC points table. 

Considering Pakistan have hit rock bottom in Test cricket, the PCB is reportedly considering bringing Babar Azam back as the captain.

As the stylish batter becomes the frontrunner to lead the team, here we analyse Babar Azam's record as Pakistan's Test captain. 

Babar Azam's journey as Pakistan's Test captain at a glance

(Pakistan's Test performance with Babar Azam as captain)

Babar Azam's record as Pakistan's Test captain suggests that his tenure began with the home series against South Africa in January 2021. 

He led the Pakistani team to a clinical 2-0 victory over the South Africans, following it up with another clean sweep against Zimbabwe in Harare. 

Although Pakistan had a disastrous start to the away series against West Indies, with the hosts handing them a narrow 1-wicket defeat in the opening clash, Babar's astute leadership helped them avoid a whitewash and level the series with a 109-run win at Sabina Park. 

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The Pakistani side managed to win three of their next six fixtures before four consecutive defeats against Sri Lanka, and England questioned Babar Azam's credentials as the Test captain. 

Despite leading the team to a commanding 2-0 series win in Sri Lanka, Babar Azam was removed as Pakistan's Test captain in November 2023 following a horrendous ODI World Cup campaign in India. 

Babar Azam's record as Pakistan's Test captain

Babar Azam's record as Pakistan's Test captain indicates that his first stint was a mix of highs and lows. 

Between January 2021 and November 2023, Babar led the Pakistani side in 20 Test matches, resulting in ten wins. 

He registered a healthy win percentage of 50, significantly higher than that of Pakistan's current Test captain, Shan Masood, who has a win percentage of just 25 after 16 games. 

Pakistan have lost six Tests in Babar's tenure, maintaining an impressive win-to-loss ratio of 1.67. 

Among players who have led Pakistan in at least 15 Test matches, Babar Azam has the second-best win percentage after Waqar Younis (10 wins in 17 matches), highlighting his prowess as a skipper in the format. 

Babar Azam's batting record as Pakistan's Test captain

Babar Azam's record as Pakistan's Test captain further reveals that the right-handed batter has performed brilliantly with the bat during his tenure. In 35 innings, Babar has scored 1727 runs, the fifth-most by a Pakistani captain in Test cricket. 

His average of 50.79 highlights that Babar has a tendency to step up with the bat when asked to lead the team. 

(Babar Azam's batting record as captain in home, away and neutral venues)

Furthermore, he has amassed 11 fifties and four hundreds in just 35 innings, showcasing his ability to lead from the front and convert the starts into impactful scores. 

Thus, given how he has performed as a captain and a batter, we can say it was a wrong decision by the PCB to sack Babar from Tests following Pakistan's group-stage exit from the 2023 ODI World Cup. 

So, if he returns to the helm, we can expect Babar to help the Pakistani team overcome its rough phase and attain greater heights in Test cricket. 

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